Education, Equality & Crime - Michael Spence

Contributed

Is Education and inequality the main causes of increased crime in Jamaica or squatting?

Education and inequality indeed are some of the causes of increased crime(any behaviour that attracts a fine or imprisonment) in Jamaica but all the things we rightly want will not happen without the will and until the engine of economic growth is fixed. The elevation in 2017 of the income tax threshold to J$1.5 million has less to do with the rapid building of a crime industry than having a third of our population or approximately 700,000 living in squatter conditions and 200,000 unattached youths. 

Interestingly when slavery was abolished there were 350,000 squatters and we are celebrating Emancipation and Independence Days when many more are still living in conditions that make some slavery conditions look like Sunday school. Montego Bay alone for example has 17 squatter communities. Squatting is mainly driven by housing shortages, economic hardships, political support to ensure loyalty practised by the two major parties JLP and PNP, and the availability of idle land and or houses. 

A policy to empower squatters or reduce the squatter population is connected to the reduction of crime and a reduction in public safety island-wide, and growing an economy in a civilized manner. I understand the frustration of brethren like Peter Espeut who I know among others are competent in using a holistic approach in their analyses to realize that most Jamaicans are criminals by design and others by circumstances, thereby increasing crime and public safety challenges significantly. Crime has unfortunately/fortunately become a functional part of Jamaican society contributing in some instances to the maintenance, growth and development of uncivilized underdevelopment in some cases.

If you combine legitimate criminal enterprises like the police, army, security companies, dogs, drones, cameras guns, vehicles, prisons, legal firms, courthouses, clothes and food suppliers, grills, fences, education and medical health personnel etc. Then you look at the illegitimate side including the multibillion extortion rackets, illegal drug and gun trades, boats, planes, shop breaking, scamming, corruption, squatting, phones and other technology. All of the above should be about 7-10% of GDP when you combine direct and indirect costs to fight crime, then if you look at the percentage of public debt it could be as high as 90% diverting private and public funds from more productive and essential investments to enhance national development. Crime is partly responsible for Jamaican society's growth, maintenance and underdevelopment. Would anyone be surprised to hear someone say crime is good for Jamaica not understanding the wider link to the impoverishment, fear and misery of the society for example buying crime-fighting items for the police and Army instead of computers and books for schools or beds and medicines for hospitals.

Jamaica needs a national movement and awareness to improve public safety not more expenditure misguided “crime plan” but a more creative, pragmatic, honest, innovative and selective use of resources and manpower. The security forces must own the spaces and the only recognized gangs should be the police/army the only Dons being the Commissioner and the Brigadier with their Superintendents. Majors, corporals, constables and sergeants must occupy public spaces not the foot soldiers of Dons along with their ground commanders.

Contributed by

micspen2